Ronnie O’Sullivan’s campaign at the International Championship ended in heartbreak as he suffered a narrow 6–5 loss to fellow Englishman Jack Lisowski in the third round. The seven-time world champion, who turns 50 next month, had never won this particular event and was aiming to change that in Nanjing, China.
Lisowski, fresh off his maiden ranking title at the Northern Ireland Open in October, surged ahead 5–3 with a brilliant top break of 113. O’Sullivan fought back to level the contest at 5–5, showing flashes of his trademark resilience and skill at the South New City National Fitness Center. But in a tense deciding frame where both players missed match-winning chances, Lisowski held his nerve to pot a difficult final black sealing his first career victory over O’Sullivan.
The 34-year-old Lisowski extended his winning streak on the World Snooker Tour to nine matches and advanced to the last 16, where he will face Barry Hawkins, who overcame Jak Jones 6–3.
Elsewhere, England’s Zak Surety produced a perfect 147 maximum break the second of his career in his dramatic 6–5 win against Ireland’s Aaron Hill. World champion Zhao Xintong narrowly escaped an upset, edging fellow Chinese player Lei Peifan 6–5, while Scotland’s Stephen Maguire defeated world number two Kyren Wilson 6–4.
Veteran John Higgins continued his fine form with a 6–3 triumph over Hossein Vafaei. Other notable winners included Judd Trump, Shaun Murphy, Ding Junhui, and former champions Neil Robertson and Mark Selby. Anthony McGill, Si Jiahui, and Wu Yize also progressed to the fourth round as the competition in Nanjing intensified.
The tournament continues to deliver drama and high-quality snooker, with several top contenders still in the running for the prestigious title.
Be the first to comment